Into Africa: The Gear
It only seems like a few months ago that I found out I had one in African safari at the World Deer Expo in Birmingham, AL, but in truth it has been almost 3 years. To say the time has flown by would be a gross understatement. In about five months I will be setting foot on African soil for the very first time. The feelings of excitement and anxiousness keep growing as I prepare for not only my most adventurous hunting trip to date, but also my first time requiring a passport to fly.
Over the past 2 1/2 years I have dreamt about and read about the many species of plains game available for me to hunt on this trip and I've narrowed my wish list down to a few species that I feel represent the continent well. Stories and films of other hunters safaris have helped to fuel my own fire to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime trip. The timing of the hunt was specifically scheduled around the moon phase and seasonal weather patterns most conducive to bowhunting. I have become even more meticulous about my gear and I'm in the process of finalizing my list to pack for the trip. From the very beginning I planned to make this an archery hunt and as such have really spent time dialing in my bow setup for the game I will be pursuing.
Such a great adventure would seem to demand specialized gear, but in reality my packing list for this trip is not much different than an elk or mule deer hunt in the Western US. The lodge I'll be staying at provides laundry services so a lot of extra clothing is not required and a bow that is set up for hunting elk is more than sufficient to take most plains game. That said, I have made a few tweaks to my gear and here is what I plan on taking with me.
Clothing
- 2 KUIU Peloton 130 T's
- 2 KUIU Attack pants
- 1 KUIU Peloton 200 Zip T
- 1 KUIU Peloton 240 Hoodie
- 1 KUIU Kenai Jacket
- 2 KUIU Peloton 130 bottoms
- KUIU Ultra NX rain jacket
- KUIU Peloton 240 beanie
- KUIU Peleton 200 gloves
- 4 pairs merino wool socks
- 4 pairs Adidas Climatech boxers
- Scarpa Zodiac GTX boots
Hunting Gear
- Maven B.1 10x42 binos
- Nikon Prostaff 3i rangefinder
- KUIU bino harness
- KUIU Ultra 3000 pack
- KUIU Yukon gaiters
- Benchmade Grizzly Creek knife
- MTN OPS Enduro Trail Packs
Archery Gear
- Hoyt Defiant Turbo
- Sure-Loc Lethal Weapon 5 pin sight
- Stokerized Stasis stabilizer
- AAE Elevate rest
- Hoyt Carbon Pro 2 piece quiver
- 24 Easton FMJ 400 @ 25.5", 460 grains
- Nockturnal lighted nocks
- Muzzy Trocar 100 grain broadheads
- Tru-Fire Sear release (x2)
- Extra String and cables
Camera Gear
- Canon 700D SLR camera
- Tamron 18-270mm lens
- Sigma 18-200mm lens (backup)
- GoPro Hero5
- GoPro Hero4 Session
- various GoPro mounts
- Manfrotto Befree tripod
- Manfrotto Befree One tripod
- Manfrotto 128RC2 fluid head
- extra batteries, chargers, memory cards
- portable hard drive
This is all in addition to a couple sets of travel/camp clothes and shoes, toiletries, and travel basics like enough Nock On Archery podcasts downloaded to last the entire trip. I'll be filming as much as possible (hence the extra camera gear) and hope to make the entire experience into a film to submit to hunting film festivals next year. At the very least I will be documenting what is sure to be a memorable adventure to share with my friends and family.
As always no gear list is finalized until you're headed to the airport, so some items may be subject to change. I will post again if there are any major changes before I go.
My next post will address the logistics of an overseas trip and some of the hurdles faced, as well as how to handle them. Until then, join me in reading a Peter Hathaway Capstick book.
Over the past 2 1/2 years I have dreamt about and read about the many species of plains game available for me to hunt on this trip and I've narrowed my wish list down to a few species that I feel represent the continent well. Stories and films of other hunters safaris have helped to fuel my own fire to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime trip. The timing of the hunt was specifically scheduled around the moon phase and seasonal weather patterns most conducive to bowhunting. I have become even more meticulous about my gear and I'm in the process of finalizing my list to pack for the trip. From the very beginning I planned to make this an archery hunt and as such have really spent time dialing in my bow setup for the game I will be pursuing.
Such a great adventure would seem to demand specialized gear, but in reality my packing list for this trip is not much different than an elk or mule deer hunt in the Western US. The lodge I'll be staying at provides laundry services so a lot of extra clothing is not required and a bow that is set up for hunting elk is more than sufficient to take most plains game. That said, I have made a few tweaks to my gear and here is what I plan on taking with me.
Clothing
- 2 KUIU Peloton 130 T's
- 2 KUIU Attack pants
- 1 KUIU Peloton 200 Zip T
- 1 KUIU Peloton 240 Hoodie
- 1 KUIU Kenai Jacket
- 2 KUIU Peloton 130 bottoms
- KUIU Ultra NX rain jacket
- KUIU Peloton 240 beanie
- KUIU Peleton 200 gloves
- 4 pairs merino wool socks
- 4 pairs Adidas Climatech boxers
- Scarpa Zodiac GTX boots
Hunting Gear
- Maven B.1 10x42 binos
- Nikon Prostaff 3i rangefinder
- KUIU bino harness
- KUIU Ultra 3000 pack
- KUIU Yukon gaiters
- Benchmade Grizzly Creek knife
- MTN OPS Enduro Trail Packs
Archery Gear
- Hoyt Defiant Turbo
- Sure-Loc Lethal Weapon 5 pin sight
- Stokerized Stasis stabilizer
- AAE Elevate rest
- Hoyt Carbon Pro 2 piece quiver
- 24 Easton FMJ 400 @ 25.5", 460 grains
- Nockturnal lighted nocks
- Muzzy Trocar 100 grain broadheads
- Tru-Fire Sear release (x2)
- Extra String and cables
Camera Gear
- Canon 700D SLR camera
- Tamron 18-270mm lens
- Sigma 18-200mm lens (backup)
- GoPro Hero5
- GoPro Hero4 Session
- various GoPro mounts
- Manfrotto Befree tripod
- Manfrotto Befree One tripod
- Manfrotto 128RC2 fluid head
- extra batteries, chargers, memory cards
- portable hard drive
This is all in addition to a couple sets of travel/camp clothes and shoes, toiletries, and travel basics like enough Nock On Archery podcasts downloaded to last the entire trip. I'll be filming as much as possible (hence the extra camera gear) and hope to make the entire experience into a film to submit to hunting film festivals next year. At the very least I will be documenting what is sure to be a memorable adventure to share with my friends and family.
As always no gear list is finalized until you're headed to the airport, so some items may be subject to change. I will post again if there are any major changes before I go.
My next post will address the logistics of an overseas trip and some of the hurdles faced, as well as how to handle them. Until then, join me in reading a Peter Hathaway Capstick book.
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